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PIA News Service - Tuesday, November 6, 2012

402nd Brigade joins Parish Youth Congress

By 1LT Joe Patrick Martinez

CAGDIANAO, Province of Dinagat Islands, Nov. 6
(PIA) – In celebration of the 6th Vicariate Youth Congress, the 402nd Brigade,
Philippine Army has partnered with the Immaculate Concepcion youth ministry and
leaders for a 4-day youth congress held recently at St. Peter and St Paul
Parish in Poblacion Cagdianao, this province.

With the theme “Kabatan-onan sa Dinagat:
Maampingon sa Kinaiyahan ug Masaligon sa Gahum sa Kahitas-an!”, it called on to
revitalize one’s faith and conviction towards life.

Around 300 youth leaders from Loreto, Tubajon,
Libjo, Basilisa, Dinagat, and Cagdianao graced the event where they prayerfully
reflected and shared together concerns, challenges and matters of interest
which affected the church, community and the youth in the present time so as to
come up with courses of action on how to become more animated and more
effective in ministering the youth.

“I feel blessed on this wonderful occasion that
God made everything perfect for our youth! God bless the people who believed
and supported this activity especially to our Army of Peace. May you always be
our partner in molding our youth as God wanted us to be the messenger of
peace,” said Most Reverent Antonieto B Cabajog, Bishop of Surigao.

Col Ronald N Albano, 402nd Brigade Commander,
Philippine Army, on the other hand, believed that through this convergence with
all the stakeholders especially with the church, “we can do greater things with
high impact in the lives of our youth. Our advocacy is the same as others
advocacy so why do we have to separate our efforts with our youth? We knew that
the church can help us make our youth not only to become more responsible,
productive, and well-informed youth of our society but also to be more
spiritually guided and messenger of peace.”

“Together, we will empower the youth of Caraga,”
Col. Albano added.

The activity ended with a coastal clean-up along
Cagdianao beaches and boodle fight where food are served in a long table - a
symbol of camaraderie, brotherhood and friendship. (402nd CMO/PIA-Surigao del
Norte)

Functional foods like oats, soy and garlic, are
now becoming popular because they have substances that reduce the risk of heart
diseases.

Malunggay has high nutritional content and
functional properties.

It is classified as functional food because it
is not only a good source of vitamin A, calcium, iron and zinc, but also a rich
source of antioxidants.

Foods rich in antioxidants may protect our cells
from the effects of free radicals which can contribute to the development of
heart disease, diabetes, cancers and other diseases.

To make this food and its benefits more
accessible to the public, Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the
Department of Science and Technology (FNRI-DOST) developed malunggay leaves
powder (MLP) from which various functional food products can be based.

Thus, malunggay food products like malunggay
juice, tea and noodles are now available in the market.

Based on a sensory evaluation done by trained
taste panelists, the acceptability of the said food products with MLP ranged
from “like slightly” to “like moderately”, mostly attributed to the dark green
color of MLP.

The food products were also subjected to
shelf-life studies where all were stored at room temperature except for the
sausage which was stored under frozen condition.

All products were found stable up to four months
of storage.

One serving of 250 milliliters of soup with MLP
meets 24 percent of the Recommended Energy and Nutrient Intakes (RENI) per day
for vitamin A for Filipino children 7-9 years old. A serving of 333 milliliters
of veggie sauce satisfies 29 percent of the nutrient for this group of
children. On the other hand, a 25 gram serving of breakfast cereal with MLP
provides 17 percent of the RENI while 100 grams of sausage provides the most at
69 percent of the recommended vitamin A.

The food products also contributed significant
amount of the calcium requirement per day of the same age group.

Nutritionists at the FNRI recommended using
these food products in feeding programs to augment the vitamin A and calcium
requirements of children.

Parenting styles affect the character children
develop as they grow to adulthood.

During the October First Friday Affair (FFA) of
Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI), employee-participants underwent a
learnshop on character-centered parenting, wherein theories and practices of
developing a child’s character were discussed.

“A child grows in the family. The type of
parenting goals you have will affect you and your child. We should be the
person we want our children to become,” Joanne Antiquina, a family life and
child development consultant, said.

Together with her husband, Neil, the two
consultants tackled five modules on parenting such as parenting styles
assessment, the parenting grid and approaches, and best practices to
character-centered parenting, among others.

“My parenting goals are to become a source of
inspiration, a protector, and a provider to my family,” Anthony Terence Ocampo,
deputy director for Professional Development Programs of Kool Adventure Camp (KAC)
of RAFI, shared.

During the learnshop, the participants learned
that there are three types of parenting goals, namely, survival (just to make
through the rearing years of the child), default (provide shallow happiness by
giving what is popular), and purposeful (shape the heart of the child by
building relationships).

“Grandparents and nannies who are our frontline
child care providers should also be oriented on our parenting goals. When we
are out, they are the ones who take care of our children,” Neil Antiquina
stressed.

Joanne said that if parents want to build strong
relationships in the family, they should make every occasion a celebration.

“Even if it is just an ordinary day, make it a
moment for the family to bond together. It’s not necessary to hang out outside
our homes. We can make small get together inside our homes,” she emphasized.

Some of the best practices on character-centered
parenting presented included the following: stress purpose, not performance;
coach, don’t cheerlead; relate to engage, not to entertain; and set boundaries,
not walls.

At the end of the learnshop, participants were
challenged to draw using their foot.

“The activity reflects how we should deal with
children. By using our foot in drawing, we establish self-control. In this
matter, kids should also have the freedom to experience these things,” Mileesa
Lumanog, human resources specialist, shared.

“If you want to understand your child, write
with your foot. Empathy is walking in your child’s shoes. It’s rewarding to
leave our children not feeling apprehensive but confident that they would
become responsible persons,” Joanne said.

“Parenting is for the courageous, not for the
faint-hearted,” Neil added.

First Friday Affair is done every month to
uphold the learning experience of RAFI employees outside their working
assignments.

For more information about RAFI, please contact
418-7234 or visit www.rafi.org.phand www.facebook.com/rafi.org.ph.
(RAFI/PIA-Caraga)

Feature: Flavor enhancers may increase food
intake of elderly

By Celina Ann Z. Javier

When people reach the age of 60 years and above,
their sense of taste and smell generally weaken, affecting their food intake.

Older persons tend to eat less because their
weak senses depreciate the appeal of food, thereby resulting in malnutrition.

Prompt intervention can prevent older persons
from having poor nutrition, because at this stage they are very susceptible to
illnesses.

A study by the Food and Nutrition Research
Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (FNRI-DOST) determined
the effect of flavor enhancers on the dietary intake of older persons.

Sixty seven (67) persons aged 60 years old and
above joined the study. Before the start and during the study, 24-hour food
intake, anthropometric and clinical data were obtained from the subjects.

One group was given 0.5 grams flavor enhancer
while the other group was given 0.5 grams iodized salt. These were added to
lunch and supper of the subjects for two months. The subjects tolerated the
addition of flavor enhancer and iodized salt.

The study revealed that both interventions
increased the energy and all the nutrient intake of the subjects. In addition,
body weight and body mass index (BMI) also increased significantly with flavor
enhancer use, but not with iodized salt.

The blood pressure was also normal for both
interventions. Furthermore, sodium in the blood of the subjects was also within
the normal levels.

Thus, adding 0.5 grams of flavor enhancer and
iodized salt to the food of the older persons did not have a significant effect
on their blood pressure and serum sodium levels.

This study is a scientific proof that addition
of said flavor enhancers will not increase the blood pressure of older persons
as long as these are used in moderation.

Addition of flavor enhancers may also be a good
strategy in increasing the food intake of older persons to increase appetite
and improve nutritional status.

“Kumain ng itlog, pagkaing pampalusog (Eat eggs,
food that's good for the health),” parents and teachers would often say to
encourage children to eat eggs.

Indeed, eggs, specifically chicken eggs, are on
the list of the most commonly-consumed foods.

Eggs top the most consumed protein-rich foods in
the Philippines, based on the food consumption survey conducted in 2008
conducted by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of
Science and Technology (FNRI-DOST).

Is nutrition really important? We need to
explain to ordinary people why nutrition is essential because they need to know
how this affects health. Nutrition is the food we eat and how the body uses it,
while health is a state of complete physical and mental being and not merely
the absence of illness or disease. If we are eating right, this contributes to
good health because we are able to provide all the nutrients the body needs.

So what does "good" nutrition mean?
Good nutrition is achieved when the body gets all the nutrients it needs in the
right kind and amount. This is realized when the body is able to process all
the foods and the nutrients are well-utilized by the body’s system.

Malnutrition, on the other hand, is a disorder
which you get from eating too little, too much, or not eating the right
combinations of food.

We often hear, read about or often talk about
nutrients, but what are they? Nutrients are what we get from food that the body
needs to grow and repair our cells, provide heat to move, work and play; and
regulate body processes.

Energy, like the one produced from fuel to power
cars, comes from carbohydrates, fats and protein which provide heat that the
body needs to perform basic functions of work and play. Proteins are the
building blocks of tissues for growth and development and repair of worn-out
cells. Fats or lipids also give energy and help in the absorption of vitamins
A, D, E, and K. Vitamins and minerals solely come from food and are responsible
for regulating various body processes. Other essential substances in the diet
are water and dietary fiber which are vital in digestion, absorption and
elimination of waste from the body.

Malnutrition

There is also such a thing as "bad"
nutrition. We call this malnutrition. When one eats too much food or the wrong
kinds of foods, or too much of one kind of food, there is excess of nutrients.
This is overnutrition. When we eat very little, a deficiency develops. This is
equally a problem and we call this undernutrition. Too much or too little of
anything including food is bad for the body.

Malnutrition still persists in the Philippines.
Many people are not eating enough of what they need so they are often sick.
Others eat too much and they also get sick. For the entire country, there are
many factors that contribute to malnutrition. These include faulty food intake,
poor distribution of the food supply, inequitable food distribution among the
family members, large family size, and low food expenditure as affected by high
prices of food and poor income. There is malnutrition also because of poverty,
low education level, urbanization as well as infectious diseases and parasitism
due to poor sanitation.

Among Filipino children, the other factors are
inadequacy of the diet in terms of quality and quantity, declining
breastfeeding practice, improper complementary feeding, and lack of
immunization. If mothers are not careful when they are not pregnant and when
they do not submit themselves for regular pre-natal check-ups when pregnant, this,
too, affects the health of their children.

Malnutrition exists in three forms. One is
undernutrition which results from inadequate amount of food for a long period
of time. Second is overnutrition which results from a excessive intake of
nutrients. An imbalance results from a disproportion of the essential nutrients
that one needs. When we eat too many foods with the same nutrients and neglect
others that our body needs, an imbalance occurs. For example, too much
carbohydrate, too much protein, but too little or inadequate amounts of
vitamins from fruits and vegetables is bad for the body.

The kinds of malnutrition are acute and chronic
malnutrition. Acute malnutrition refers to one's present state of nutrition as
indicated by weight loss, while chronic malnutrition is related to past state
of nutrition as indicated by stunting and underweight.

There is also what we call primary and secondary
malnutrition. Primary malnutrition happens when a person does not eat enough.
Secondary malnutrition is when a person eats enough food but factors like
illness and environmental factors affect one’s nutritional status.

In the Philippines, the major nutrition problems
are chronic energy deficiency, vitamin A deficiency, iron deficiency anemia,
and iodine deficiency disorders.

All population groups are affected by
malnutrition but most vulnerable are infants, pre-schoolers, and the pregnant
and lactating mothers. They are most vulnerable because of changes in their
bodies which are related to food intake. Infants and pre-schoolers grow very
fast, both physically and mentally; pregnant women experience, body changes due
to fetal development in their wombs; and lactating mothers produce milk for
their babies.

Malnutrition affects one’s physical and mental
development. When a person is malnourished, infections are easily contracted.
The body becomes weak, appetite deteriorates and nutrients needed by the body
are not absorbed and used efficiently. A sick and malnourished person
experiences difficulty in thinking and learning. The child's IQ or
intelligence, for instance, relies heavily on the kind and amount of food eaten
plus the health condition. So, if a child is slow in learning, moody or
inattentive, there is a probability that he or she is malnourished.

Because of malnutrition, we have weak students
who do not perform well mentally, while others drop out of classes.
Malnutrition also leads to physical weakness, absenteeism, sickness, and death
in severe cases. Workers in offices and factories who are malnourished are not
as efficient and easily get tired on the job. This leads to low work
performance stemming from absenteeism and shortened working hours. Therefore, a
weak work force equals weak economy and weak economy equals slow progress of
the country.

All of us should be concerned about
malnutrition. Malnutrition is a multi-faceted problem so that every sector
should contribute to its reduction. Malnutrition is food-related, but there are
also other environmental factors aggravating it. One's culture, one's economic
state and ecological events like natural and man-made disasters - all directly
or indirectly affect the family's nutrition. Fighting malnutrition has been the
traditional concern of mothers who are responsible for preparing the family
meals everyday. However, women themselves are more affected by malnutrition
than men because they give birth year after year and take care of babies one
after another, thus becoming more vulnerable to malnutrition. They also produce
breastmilk that infants need. Women, too, in developing countries like the
Philippines, have multiple domestic or household responsibilities and hardly
have enough time to take care of themselves as the husband and children are
often their priority concerns.

Achieving proper nutrition

By instinct and through nutrition program
involvement, mothers will know that no single food contains all the nutrients
in the amounts that our body needs except breastmilk for infants below six
months. Therefore, to be sure that the family gets the nutrients the members
need for growth and repair of tissues, for energy and to maintain body
processes, the mother should ensure that everyone eats a variety of food in
every meal everyday.

Good nutrition means satisfying the needs of
each family member. Every member of the family has need for the same nutrients
but in varying amounts. From the time a child is born, he or she needs all the
nutrients increasingly up to old age. For instance, women need more of iron
because of their menstrual periods and because they deliver babies, while men
especially teenage boys need more energy for sports and other vigorous
activities.

Food means a lot to people aside from
nourishment. Food is not only something which we eat to make our bodies full
and satisfy hunger. Food also means much more to other people. It carries
social and cultural meanings. For example, food can be a sign of wealth and
power, a form of celebration, a symbol of love, a status symbol, a reward or
punishment, or a religious sacrifice. Thus, we have celebration foods, prestige
foods, cultural superfoods like staples, and even sex-linked foods.

Proper food preparation is important in relation
to nutrition. The way food is handled, cooked and prepared affects its
nutrients, and in the long run, what the body eats and absorbs. There are
different ways of preparing food for each family member to make sure they enjoy
food and eating. It is also important to consider the likes and dislikes of
each member of the family every time a homemaker prepares the meals.

Let us remember that proper nutrition is
important because it translates to better health and well-being as well as
improved productivity which is vital to economic progress.

Physical activity and exercise have been proven
to help prevent lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes, obesity, heart
disease and hypertension.

Companies with wellness program in the workplace
have shown that this result in savings, lower absenteeism and better
productivity.

Workplace wellness programs can be as varied as
possible.

The key is to offer opportunities and incentives
for employees to lead healthy lifestyles: eat healthy food, quit smoking and be
physically active.

Exercise and physical activity are integral in
the prevention and treatment of lifestyle-related diseases.

Most employees would like to eat better,
exercise regularly and achieve a normal weight, but simply telling people to
adopt a healthy lifestyle isn't helpful.

Here are some tips to companies that have not
yet tried incorporating health and wellness activities in your company:

Get the support and involvement of company
leaders. If employees will see that the management is supportive of the
program, their likelihood to participate in the program is huge.

Create a taskforce or ad-hoc committee that will
plan special events, promote employee participation and spread the news about
health and wellness program.

Routine physical check-ups among employees will
increase employees' awareness of their condition and inspire them to do
something about their lifestyle. However, be sure that they are aware of the
results.

Organize weight loss competitions, focusing more
on lifestyle changes than cash incentives. This gives employees the motivation
to participate and value the program.

Company wellness events like sports fest, fun
run, or mini-Olympics, can be done quarterly or bi-annual. Events like these
will help create an environment that encourages regular physical activity.

A health club will encourage more employees to
participate because it is accessible.

Make available information packages such as
brochures and posters on food and nutrition to employees. You may also want to
publish a company cookbook to which employees can contribute their favorite
healthy recipes.

Provide incentives for achieving goals such as
healthy behaviors and weight. This can be by way of extra time for walking,
discounts on health care premiums or even days off from work.

If funding support is not a problem, corporate
health club memberships offered by fitness centers where discounted rates may
be given to a number of employees.

Remember, creating this healthy environment does
not have to involve significant or expensive changes.

Feature: Calcium is the least consumed
micronutrient in the Filipino diet

By Jund Rian A. Doringo

Ninety-nine percent of calcium is located in the
skeleton for bone structure and strength, while one percent is found in the
soft tissues, extracellular fluid and plasma for metabolic and regulatory
roles.

Specifically, calcium is consumed for the
construction, formation and maintenance of bones and teeth, blood clotting and
wound healing, muscle contraction, maintenance of cells and connective tissues,
blood pressure control and nerve transmission, among others.

According to the Recommended Energy and Nutrient
Intakes (RENI) developed by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the
Department of Science and Technology (FNRI-DOST) in 2002, calcium requirement
differs according to population groups and sex.

The male and female adults 19 – 64 years old
need 750 milligrams (mg) per day of calcium, while those 65 years old and over
need 800mg/day.

The Philippines has relatively lower
recommendation values for calcium than the United States, Australia and other
Southeast Asian countries.

Dried dilis, canned fish, sardines, some green
vegetables and legumes, seeds and nuts, snails and mollusks are the richest
sources of calcium in the diet, while milk, yogurt and cheddar cheese have the
highest absorbable calcium.

The 7th
National Nutrition Survey (NNS) by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute,
Department of Science and Technology (FNRI-DOST) revealed that mean one-day per
capita calcium intake is at 42.3% of the RENI and that calcium as the least-
consumed nutrient in the Filipino diet.

There was a drop in the proportion of households
meeting the RENI for calcium from 16.0% in 2003 to 11.5% in 2008.

The survey further showed that six to twelve
year-old children had the lowest consumption of calcium according to population
groups, with 0.26 grams per day.

Pregnant women had the highest mean one-day
calcium consumption among population groups.

In general, the estimated average recommendation
for calcium was not met and registered very low proportions across population
groups at around 9.8%.

Fish was shown to be the primary source of
calcium in the Filipino diet, followed by rice and cereals, vegetables and milk
and milk products.

Milk intake, as an excellent source of dietary
calcium, was also shown to be poor except in infants.

Calcium intake can be increased through
increased consumption of fish and milk in the diet, as well as promoting cheaper
sources of calcium.

Promotion of adequate calcium intake throughout
the lifespan is strongly encouraged to meet the recommended intakes especially
in infants after six months.

Everyone must take part in improving the calcium
intake, particularly during the growing years to avoid calcium
deficiency-related diseases such as osteoporosis.

Every now and then we see gray-haired people
walking down the streets on bended backs as if searching for something
unidentified on the ground. We let them pass by, wondering that perhaps all
people upon reaching that "stage" in life will automatically suffer
the same fate.

It was only a couple of years ago when media
bombarded us with information concerning people with "bended backs"
or in medical terms – osteoporosis.

What is osteoporosis? Science defines
osteoporosis as a multifaceted disorder in which the skeleton is sufficiently
fragile so that it fractures when exposed to the mechanical forces and
accidents that are routine to ordinary living. It is a crippling disease
characterized by loss of bony tissue from the skeleton and deterioration of
bone structure.

Nutritional factors involved in bone health
include calcium, phosphorus, protein, vitamins C, D, and K, and various trace
minerals. Of these factors, calcium plays the major role and has been the most
extensively studied. Among the young, calcium is very important in bone
formation and for growth and development.

Dietary studies have shown that Filipinos have
very low intakes of calcium. The latest National Nutrition Survey (NNS)
conducted by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of
Science and Technology (FNRI-DOST) in 2008 revealed that about seven in every
10 Filipinos did not meet the average requirement for calcium. The consumption
of Filipinos for milk and milk products decreased by seven grams, from 49 grams
per person per day in 2003 to 42 grams per person per day in 2008.

According to the Recommended Energy and Nutrient
Intakes (RENI) developed by the FNRI-DOST in 2002, calcium requirement differs
according to population groups and sex. Thus, male and female adults aged 19 –
64 years old would need 750 milligrams (mg) per day of calcium, while those 65
years old and over would need 800 mg/day.

We never outgrow our needs for calcium. Since
calcium is so often associated with growth, many adults feel they do not need
it anymore. This is not true, because calcium is very important for the daily
functioning of our body and for the replacement of calcium in our bones.

We can get enough calcium in your diet by taking
sufficient amount of milk and milk products and other calcium-rich foods. Other
calcium-rich food products include small fishes eaten with the bones like dilis
(or anchovies) and sardines, soybean curd known as tokwa or tofu, small
shrimps, and green leafy vegetables (like malunggay or horseradish, saluyot or
jute, alugbati or malabarshade and mustasa or mustard). These are cheap sources
of calcium and commonly eaten by ordinary households.

Ensuring an adequate amount of these
calcium-rich foods in your diet will prevent you from worrying about a stooped
posture later in life. Though the song "On Bended Knees" topped the
music charts a couple of years ago, you don't want to experience the difficulty
of having a bent back, do you?

The bones move, support and protect various
organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells and store minerals,
essentially enabling the body to perform and maintain specific important
duties.

Weakening of the bones results in bone diseases
such as osteoporosis, affecting the daily routine of an individual which later
leads to injuries and fractures.

Bone strength is dependent on bone density and
bone quality, such that bones are most likely to deteriorate as an individual
ages, making them more brittle and likely to break.

There are various risk factors of osteoporosis
and bone fractures like age, sex, family history, personal history, bone
structure and body weight, and menopause.

However, there are also modifiable risk factors
of osteoporosis such as smoking, excessive alcohol intake, sedentary living,
inadequate calcium intake, caffeine, medications like steroids, excessive
thyroid hormone, anti-convulsants, and antacids.

Smoking has been shown to reduce blood supply to
the bones, slow the production of bone-forming cells, and impair the absorption
of calcium, while excessive alcoholic beverage consumption has been shown to
increase bone loss.

An estimated 8.1 million Filipinos have
osteoporosis and many are unaware of the disease until fractures appear.

The good thing is that osteoporosis, as well as
other bone-related diseases, are preventable. Prevention starts with taking
adequate amounts of calcium and vitamin D, initiating a lifestyle change by
quitting smoking and limiting alcoholic beverage intake, committing to regular
load-bearing activities ideally four days a week or more, and taking care not
to trip or fall to avoid injuries or fractures.

According to the Recommended Energy and Nutrient
Intakes (RENI) developed by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the
Department of Science and Technology (FNRI-DOST), female and male adults need
750 milligrams of calcium and 5 micrograms of vitamin D everyday.

Milk and milk products like cheese and yogurt,
green leafy vegetables, anchovies, sardines and tofu are some of the
readily-available good sources of calcium in the Filipino diet. Sun exposure at
sunrise is the most cost-effective and convenient way of obtaining adequate
amounts of vitamin D in the body.

The seventh recommendation of the Nutritional
Guidelines for Filipinos (or NGF) says: “Consume milk, milk products and other calcium-rich
foods such as small fish and dark green leafy vegetables everyday”.

Moreover, the tenth recommendation of the NGF
further says: “For a healthy lifestyle and good nutrition, exercise regularly,
do not smoke and avoid drinking alcohol beverages”.